St Jacobs

In a Nutshell

At locations in Kitchener/Waterloo, sessions include indoor instruction and an on-field experience with equipment prep & hang-gliding basics

The Fine Print

Promotional value expires Jun 30, 2013. Amount paid never expires.Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as gift. Reservation required; subject to weather. Must sign waiver. Must be 16 or older. Must be in moderate physical condition and be able to run with a 50-70lb glider. Must complete in-class session before on-field session. Tax included.Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.

Instinct Windsports

The human obsession with flying stems from a refusal to accept limitations and an intense desire to find out which of your neighbors secretly have pools. Prepare to put your eyes in the skies with this Groupon.

$69 for a Hang-Gliding Discovery Course ($120 Value)

The discovery course begins with 2.5 hours of classroom instruction that dives into hang-gliding basics and safety principles. From there, attendees graduate to a three-hour, on-field training session. This comprehensive training teaches students how to inspect and setup their equipment before imparting some manoevering fundamentals. If the weather permits, a series of small “bunny hops” in which students never drift higher than five feet will give them a taste of flight. Courses include all necessary equipment.

Classroom sessions will be offered every couple of weeks, and on-field sessions take place every Saturday following the first classroom session. Sundays are reserved as a rain date.

While this course is primarily a ground-based experience, participants may be able to experience some airborne adventures if weather permits.

Instinct Windsports

Instinct Windsports gives humans the means to defy gravity and evolution. Everyone from beginners to experienced hang gliders can learn the ways of flight, with instructors making safety their top priority. Ground schools explore the gliders and their underlying principles before a scooter-mounted towing winch and a computerized simulator let beginners ease into flight. Although not included with this Groupon, more experienced students can work through certification courses that give them the techniques necessary to soar on their own.

For a safe, immersive introduction to the world of hang gliding, the center’s certified pilots also offer tandem flights. A high-powered winch or an ultra-light airplane tows the duo to as high as 1,500 feet before releasing the glider to the instructor’s control. During the next 10–30 minutes, adventurers gain a birds-eye view of the surrounding area and the possibility of controlling the glider so they can brag to their land-bound pets after landing.